Hey friends!  I am really pleased with how this latest build turned out.  Before I show you, let’s talk price.  The whole table uses 7 boards that cost around $35.  Yep… $35!  Check out my new DIY Sawhorse Coffee Table!

DIY Sawhorse Coffee Table Free Plans by Shanty2Chic

DIY Sawhorse Coffee Table Shanty2Chic Free Plans

DIY Sawhorse Coffee Table – Tutorial & Plans

Isn’t she pretty!?  This is a very simple build guys!  As always, I will walk you through the entire build here, and you can also download and print the FREE plans by clicking HERE or the picture below.

You will build your sawhorse bases first.  These are made with an I-beam design.  Cut your 2×4 first to size. I used my miter saw for this part.  Once your wood is cut, add a line of glue to one end of your vertical piece. THIS is our favorite wood glue!  Our friend Clint told us about it, and we love it!

DIY Sawhorse Coffee Table - wood glue

Add the horizontal board to the top of that and make sure it’s centered.  Then, use 3″ Spax screws
to attach them.

Spax Wood Screws

Once you have one horizontal side attached, connect the other using the same method.  You can see here I used 3-4 screws to attach each board.

Table I beam

Your I-beam should look like this at this point…

I beam for coffee table

Next add your legs!  You will have 8 of these.  The plans tell you how to find the perfect angle.  I just cut mine to 18°.

Legs for Coffee Table

Make sure to pre-drill 4 holes to attach each leg.  This keeps the wood from splitting, especially since you will be so close to the edges of the boards.  I measured my pilot holes to keep them all about the same for each leg.

mark predrill holes

Attach each leg with four 3″ Spax screws.

Attach legs with screws

DIY Sawhorse Coffee Table – Pocket Hole Tip

Now for the supports.  Under each leg there will be a support.  I cut these to size and added 1.5″ pocket holes to each one.  I used my K5 Kreg Jig
for this part.  Many of you ask which Kreg Jig to purchase… This is our #1 pick!

Kreg Jig K5 Model

Then, I added wood glue to each end and attached them using 2.5″ pocket hole screws.

table braces

Connecting leg to brace

Almost done!  The top is planked using 1.5″ pocket holes and 2.5″ pocket hole screws.  You can see where I put mine in all the pictures.

building a coffee table top

Pocket Holes for table top

Underside of table top

I attached the bases to the table top using wood glue and 3″ Spax screws from under the I-beams and into the table top.  Here she is all finished!

Free Plans DIY Sawhorse Coffee Table by Shanty2Chic

DIY Sawhorse Coffee Table – Painting & Nails

I painted the whole thing using a color called Seine by Sherwin-Williams.  I used a Vaseline distressing method.  You can see a short video of that HERE.

I added some large brass nails to the top that I found at Hobby Lobby.

Brass Nail Heads from Hobby Lobby

Now for the fun part!  All the goodies in the room!  I found the best rug ever at rugsusa.com!  You can see the rug I chose HERE!  I LOVE it under the table and on top of my wood tile…

Coffee Table Shanty2Chic

The vase on the coffee table is from World Market.

My flooring is Cottage wood tile from The Tile Shop.  I shared a post on it HERE.

The pumpkins on the hearth and the wreath on my pallet are from Target.

The cute metal vase is from Save on Crafts.

I will be sharing the FREE printable banner on my mantel this week!

I think that just about covers it… Here are a few more shots of the table in my room!

DIY Coffee Table Free Plans

DIY Sawhorse Coffee Table Free Plans & Tutorial by Shanty2Chic

Let me know if you have any questions at all!  I would LOVE for you to share and pin this project with all your peeps!

Thanks so much and Happy Building!

~Whitney

Check out this video on how to build this DIY Rolling Storage Coffee Table!

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19 Comments

  1. Hey guys, i’m about to finish this table for a friend using the Seine color. Did you guys apply a poly or some other film finish over the top when done?

  2. Thank you so much for these plans! The recent snow storm in philly allowed me time to finish mine. You guys are awesome and inspired my new hobby!!

    1. Hey Jennifer! I just got done building this coffee table a few days ago but my wife and I have not decided on what color stain we wanted to use until we saw these photos you posted. That said, what stain did you use and where did you buy it?? It looks great!

      1. Hi Derek! I actually used a steel wool in vinegar solution to “stain” it. The steel wool oxidizes and brings out the natural tannins in the wood but unfortunately it is very unpredictable and the color comes out different every time. I finished it in oil based polyurethane. Thank you! Deciding on finishes is the hardest part for me!

        1. Thanks for the quick response! Did you add anything else to it to give it the darker color? I think we’d rather have a darker stain than a lighter one.

          1. No, I didn’t add anything. Before the poly went on the wood looked more gray, then it darkened up with the oil based poly (a couple coats).

  3. Love this! My husband and I were just looking to buy one very similar but I had a feeling you ladies would have a smart build for us! Can’t wait to see the outcome!

  4. Hi, Is the paint color by Sherwin Williams or Valspar? I cant seem to find this color in the Sherwin Williams line…Thanks! Love the table, thank you for sharing.

  5. Random question (beautiful table) but I’m desperately trying to find the wall colour in the pictures of the DIY laundry hamper/dresser. I’m not sure who’s house that is but I love the colour. Thank you!!